Local News

A construction accident off Falling Creek Road in Bedford County claimed the life of an employee installing a septic system Friday afternoon.

At 1:45 p.m. today, Bedford County 911 dispatchers received the call reporting the accident at 4177 Falling Creek Rd., involving a trench collapse. The caller advised that a man was trapped in the collapse. Rescue workers and deputies were sent to the scene arriving at 1:54 p.m.

While much of the talk lately has been about tough economic times, Bedford City Council voted last week to take a little of the pressure off its electric customers, reducing customers’ bills by about 5 percent for the next six months.

Council voted unanimously on the measure which lessens the hourly charge on kilowatt usage. The change will be in effect for at least six months until the next power adjustment is reviewed.

Students graduating from Bedford County Public Schools shouldn’t expect in the future to receive letters of congratulations from politicians with their diplomas.

Back in July some members of the Bedford County School Board raised questions about a letter from an elected official that was included with the 2009 diplomas. That led to a discussion of the school system’s overall policy about the distribution of non-school related materials to students.

A group of Thaxton residents came before the board of supervisors Monday night to complain about a couple of badly maintained homes.

“One of them, there are rats the size of cats coming out of it,” said Tim Orange, the spokesman for the group.

One is an abandoned house. The other is an abandoned building that formerly served as Thaxton’s post office. Its roof has caved in. Photos that Orange brought showed the buildings surrounded by trash, junk and overgrown lots.

Bedford County Public School officials say that the division has experienced a small number of students who have contracted the H1N1 Flu, or Swine Flu.

Officials say that two children were diagnosed with the virus following the initial week of school, which began Monday, Aug. 24. One student was from Bedford Primary School and the other from Boonsboro Elementary.

Students across Bedford County joined with students throughout the nation to hear President Barack Obama encourage them to stay in school and use their educational opportunities to become whatever it is they aspire to do in life.